Gearing up for Autorama
Locals take part in annual show that kicks off today
Detroit is known as the Motor City for many reasons and every spring auto enthusiasts are reminded of one that makes it the envy of hot rodders from New York to the California coast.
That is Autorama. “Detroit’s Autorama was the first and is the most revered hot rod custom car show in the country,” said Pete Toundas, president and owner of Championship Auto Shows and the producer of Detroit Autorama presented by O’Reilly Auto Parts appearing March 1-3 at Huntington Place.
“You will see cars at Autorama that simply don’t exist anywhere else,” Toundas said. “It is just amazing to see the innovation and creativity that goes into these vehicles.”
This year’s event will feature 800 amazing chopped, channeled, dumped and decked hot rods and vehicles built by owners who go through a vigorous selection process in order to be invited to the show.
Those who make the cut will be competing for the highest honors in hot rodding including the Riddler Award.
Also part of the fun at Autorama are the celebrities like Dee Snider, lead singer of “Twisted Sister” and “Fast & Furious” star Noel G and their vehicles like the Batmobile (five of them), Snake River Rocket Concept Trike and the super cool cars that Evel Knievel used for his death defying jumps.
Then there’s the celebrity drivers such as Keegan
Sobilo, a young race car driver from New Baltimore who is not only known for his track records but also for giving back to his community.
Sobilo and his racing team have partnered with Caterpillar and Operating Engineers 324, a group of construction workers who put on a show for pediatric cancer patients annually at Children’s Hospital of Michigan. The heavy equipment operators team up with the American Cancer Society in order to bring their bright yellow vehicles and a little fun to young patients.
“Autorama is an exciting time to partner with them and hopefully raise awareness about their program and pediatric cancer,” said the 16-year-old, who started racing cars at the age of 8. “I’ve been really trying to give back knowing how shorthanded the workforces are these days.”
Sobilo’s Autorama display will not only feature his race car but a racing simulator so other children and adults can give his sport a try. As a participant, Sobilo is also looking forward to the field of cars and their owners.
“For me personally, it’s just cool to see the different vehicles and the stories behind them,” he said.
Among the local stories is that of Tom Tignanelli of Clinton Township, who
has been named the 2024 Autorama Preservation Award Recipient.
“Talk about preservation, this is for the 1947 Ford Convertible he rescued from a neighbor’s yard in Detroit in 1960 and completely restored, driving it to high school everyday,” said Linda Ashley, a spokesperson and public relations director for Autorama. “When he graduated high school he never touched it again but went on to other automotive projects including drag racing. It sat in his garage all this time under a blanket and survived perfectly to now become the Preservation Award Winner.”
Among the six young people (ages 16-26) named Next Gen Modifiers by Autorama organizers are Devin and Nick Paul, twin brothers who earned the title for their work on a 1994 Chevy S10-V8.
“The twins have been working on this truck together with the help of friends for more than a year,” said Ashley. “They bought the truck on YouTube and the idea was to rebuild a new motor for the vehicle but one thing led to another.”
The Clinton Township twins worked on it day and night and now the truck is completely modified.
“It is a dream come true to have a winner and to be in Autorama,” said Devin Paul, whose example
is likely to inspire other youngsters to tackle their own automotive restoration project.
If that’s not enough guests will also be treated to the unveiling of a specially painted motorcycle created by Chip Foose as a tribute to Evel Knievel
and not only one Batmobile but five Batmobiles: 1966 Batmobile driven by Adam West; 1992 driven by Michael Keaton; 1995 vehicle known as “Tumbler” driven by Christian Bale and the 2017 Batmobile driven by Ben Affleck.
“One of the great things about Autorama is that there is something for everyone,” said Toundas. “You can bring the whole family. When the youngsters see the colorful, gleaming, creative cars through the show, it’s like hot wheels grown up.”